Featured TV on DVD Review: Dinosaur Train: World Tour Adventures
April 1, 2011
Dinosaur Train: World Tour Adventures - Buy from Amazon
Dinosaur Train: World Tour Adventures is the latest DVD from the TV show to arrive at my desk. I've previously reviewed a couple of these and the format remains the same. There are four episodes, each with two stories, starting with...
The only extras are some DVD-ROM features, like printable coloring pages.
A lot of times edutainment shows are pretty light on the educational value; however, with Dinosaur Train I was learning stuff. (Why didn't anyone tell me about the Kentrosaurus?) It should also entertain any kid interested in dinosaurs. World Tour Adventures price per minute is on par with most similar TV on DVD releases and it is absolutely worth picking up.
The Show
The Pteranodon Family begin their world tour and instead of visiting just once place and come back home at night, they get to sleep on the train. The first new dinosaur they meet is actually Gilbert, whose helping his uncle, Mr. Conductor. They also meet the Amargasaurus, a plant eater similar to Stegosaurus, a.k.a., Snarl. In the second part of the episode, Tiny, Shiny, Don, and Buddy spend the day with Gilbert, who as a Troodon has a larger than average brain size, at least for a dinosaur.
Confuciusornis is a type of very early bird, or at least a bird-like dinosaur that lived in what is modern China, and Mr. Conductor has arranged a meeting with one of his friends, Chung. Since the dinosaur was named after the philosopher Confucius, Chung is also philosophic. In the second half, Tiny and the rest meet velociraptors, including a mother whose eggs are about to hatch. After they leave, Tiny realizes she left it behind. Fortunately, the velociraptors know a a very fast flying dinosaur, the zhejiangopterus.
Mr. Pteranodon is very interested in finding a great fishing spot, and there's one near where Iggy Iguanodon lives. But his powers of navigation fail him. In the second half of the episode, Shiny suffers from a bit of home sickness and can't sleep. When Shiny and Mr. Pteranodon explore the train at night, they learn about nocturnal dinosaurs.
They should have made Snarl out of a Kentrosaurus, which is like a Stegosaurus that traded in some its its plates for an upgrade to its Thagomizer. In the second part, the Pteranodon family are supposed to go on an early morning tour, but it's just too early for Don. (I know how he feels.) So he decides to hang out with Mr. Conductor. The Extras
The Verdict
- Submitted by: C.S.Strowbridge
Filed under: Video Review